Vietnam to focus ICT summit on agriculture

The Asian-Oceanian Computing Industry Organisation (ASOCIO) ICT Summit
2014, the biggest ICT event in Asia and Oceania, is set to take place in
Hanoi from October 27 to 30.

The event, to be held in Vietnam
for the second time since 2003, would focus on restructuring agriculture
and on a new rural development model. In addition, the summit would
also discuss issues about creating intelligent nations and the Social,
Mobile, Analytic and Cloud Services (SMAC)'s technology.

Speaking
at the press meeting held in Hanoi on May 8, Truong Gia Binh, chairman
of the Vietnam Software and IT Services Association (VINASA), said
Vietnam is an agricultural country with more than 70 percent of its
population working in the sector. Agriculture faces difficulties in
production, transport, processing, reserves and consumption.

"The
application of ICT in agriculture would introduce new technologies as
well as information on markets and prices, which would help farmers," he
added.

He said that the summit would also help the Vietnamese
enterprises in the ICT sector to learn from the experience of other
countries. It would help the industry to make breakthroughs in
socio-economic development.

David Chang, ASOCIO's general secretary, hailed the capacity of and prestige earned by Vietnam's ICT industry in recent years.

"Vietnam
has a relatively good foundation in the sector. We believe that Vietnam
has suitable vision, policies and strategies. It would quickly catch up
with the developed ICT countries in the world," Chang said.

The
summit is expected to draw 700 international delegates, including 250
international leaders from ICT associations and leading groups in 30
countries.

The event would include conferences, special seminars, exhibitions and meetings among businesses.

The meeting of the ASOCIO Council and the Japanese ICT Day 2014 would also be held on the occasion.

This
is the second time that Vietnam is hosting an important event, and that
too after 11 years. The normal time for an ASOCIO member to hold a
summit again is 22 years.

The ASOCIO Summit 2003, which was held
in Hanoi with the theme "Digital Opportunities for Everyone," drew 265
delegates from 28 countries and 386 Vietnamese IT and telecommunication
executives and representatives. It created a strong development move for
the country's ICT sector.

The country's software and hardware technology industry entered a boom period with an annual growth rate of 30 to 40 percent.

Over
the past 11 years, Vietnam has gained prestige in the global software
industry. Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City have been continuously listed among
the cities which are attractive for software processing and exports.

In 2012, Vietnam surpassed India by becoming the second biggest partner of software processing for Japan.

ASOCIO
was established in 1984 with the objective of promoting, encouraging
and fostering relationships and trade between its members, and to
develop the computing industry in the region.-VNA